Historical Background:SULUAN ISLAND, THE PHILIPPINES, OCTOBER 17 1944:Following months of training the 6th Ranger Battalion was assigned their first combat mission. The 6th Rangers led by Lt. Col. Mucci, would be the first American troops to land in the Philippines, spearheading its liberation from the Japanese. At 0805 hours on October 17th, D Company landed near the village of Granadas in a driving rain. After reorganizing after the landing, the Rangers immediately began their advance on a lighthouse located near the southeast corner of the island. While passing through a village consisting of a few small huts, the Rangers found evidence of Japanese occupation. As the Rangers started the last leg of their journey, they suddenly came under enemy fire from the edge of the nearby jungle.